VERITAS (Truth) - The search for God through the pursuit of Truth

We are aware that God is the source of all truth. With faith and reason, like two great wings, we fly to Truth. Augustine insists that we are to “teach the truth in love.”

What does “Veritas” look like?

To tell the truth.

To search for truth in relationships.

To be serious about the hard work, self discipline, and self-awareness that honest study requires.

To know Him who is Truth Incarnate, Jesus Christ and His saving message.

To know one’s worth as a child of God and the transcendent dignity of every human person.

To explore energetically the physical world and the world of ideas with an openness to the goodness and beauty of reality.

To be able to think in an orderly and critical fashion and to express one’s thoughts clearly and with grace.

CARITAS (Love) - Union with God through Love

The great commandment of Christ is to love God and to love neighbour. The school community and relationships within it are a special place where this love finds expression.

More than any one word can express (be it love, concern, devotion, compassion, caring), “caritas” is that impulse of the Spirit of Jesus that is expressed in hundreds of kind and gracious ways. It is “active friendship” that encompasses both love of God and neighbour. It is when the head and heart move into action, often with sacrifice.

What does “Caritas” look like?

Being a friend.

Loving deeds.

Service to the community.

Care for the common good.

Sharing of goods (information, resources talents).

Personal interest and support of one another.

Bearing shared burdens and responsibilities.

We can see that these three values support and express one another. Truth acquired through both faith and reason is the basis for our understanding of reality. Truth about God as creator and source of life along with the coming of Jesus to be one with us supports our love for one another. This union with God and one another is evidenced in Christian community.

COMMUNITAS (Unity, Community) - Union with God and Others in the School Faith Community

The Christian understanding of being one with one another is based on our common origin in creation by God and re-creation in Christ.

In the words of Paul, we are one body. With the Church we attempt to renew the experience of the early Christian community where “the community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” (Acts 5:32)

The relationships within the community are nourished by the oneness of Christ with each of us and His presence in the community.

Markers of the presence of the value, what does “Communitas” look like?

Eagerness to serve the common good.

Respect for one another, our diversity, and our talents.

Shared identity and membership.

Welcoming and lasting friendships.

Expressions of unity in community gatherings (e.g., Mass, assemblies, rallies).

Realisation of the universality of the Church and awareness of being members of a global community.